The Ultimate Opponent
by Xioyuu
Summary: A hit is taken out on a Zoldyck family friend: the breeder who trained Mike. Illumi is sent to protect her, despite his issues. Since he recognizes the breeder as a strong individual, Illumi invites Hisoka to go with him. Hisoka is given a powerful opponent to fight, and if he wins, Illumi won't have to protect the breeder he dislikes. IllumixHisoka Rated for YAOI/Violence/Swearing
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hey guys, this is pretty hot off the press, so please let me know if you catch any errors. Any kind of constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. The pairing IS Hisoka and Illumi. I just threw an OC in there as a catalyst. There will be mature content, yaoi and other sexual situations in future chapters, as well as possible coarse language and definitely violence. I hope you enjoy.

-Xioyuu

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"Mother, where are we going?"

"We are going to see a family friend."

"But mother… Assassins don't have friends."

"Indeed they don't. But families do."

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Illumi watched calmly as his mother and father fell into a deep silence of concentration and worry. He looked again to the work order in his hand, calling for the assassination of an old family friend: The breeder who gave them Mike. While there was no client name on the order – Enough to make the order too suspicious for acceptance – the breeder's real name and personal address was on there. This was worrisome to Illumi's parents, as they were the only ones who were supposed to know the breeder's name. Having no family, the breeder was the last of her kind, and her assassination would mean the death of one of the Zoldyck family's most powerful resources. Judging from the looks on his parents' faces, Illumi figured they were worried that his decline of the mission would not stop the client from pursuing an assassination. After all, only someone who is truly hated has a hit placed on them. Illumi knew this from experience.

Illumi himself had met this breeder a few times, and didn't like her very much. But he had gotten a taste of her power firsthand when he had tried to test her. On a visit when he was very young, his dislike for the woman prompted him to throttle a pin at her. While he did an excellent job with the location of the pin and the stealthiness of his attack (Which is what his mother had told him), he was years away from her in experience and training (Which his father had told him). Truth be told, one of his greater motivations for becoming an assassin was the hope that he could one day surpass the strength of the breeder.

His mother released a choked sob.

"What should we do, dear? Surely none of us can take this job, but even if we don't, Viola-chan's life will still be sought." His mother said tearfully. Illumi noticed that his mother used the breeder's alias instead of her real name. His father sighed.

"Illumi, maybe you should call and confirm with the employer. Find out who they are, any way that you can. Then Viola-san will hire us to kill them off." He finished, smirking. Illumi nodded, though he noticed his mother still looked frazzled. Illumi pulled out his phone, preparing to make the call.

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Hisoka held up his phone, seeing that his incoming call was from Illumi. He beamed immediately, since the assassin almost never called him. Eagerly, he flipped the phone open.

"Hello, Illumi-chan! To what do I owe the pleasure of this call? Missed me a little, hmm?" He teased brightly. The voice on the other side was as deadpan as ever.

"Hello, Hisoka. Mother and father have sent me on an errand, and I am calling to request your assistance. Since I know you care not for money, I am willing to let you fight the target, who is a very powerful foe." Illumi emphasized 'powerful' to catch the magician's attention.

Hisoka's eyes widened. Illumi could hear the ragged breathing on the other end of the phone.

"How powerful?" Hisoka drawled, tantalized.

"She breeds the world's most dangerous animals. No one but the Zoldyck's know her personally, she runs her operations behind many corporations serving as a public face. As for how powerful she is…" Illumi trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say to ensure the magician's co-operation with the fee. "… I've heard she defeated my grandfather. Even father would never fight her." It wasn't a lie. 'Viola-san' visited on occasion, and Illumi could remember his grandfather being nowhere to be found. His father explained it was because the man was a sore loser, and that the breeder had beaten him into the submission of a target. The target had apparently been one of her beasts. Illumi could hear the raspiness on the other side of the line abruptly stop. Hisoka seemed to be thinking it through.

"Can I kill her? Or is she _your_ target?"

"If you kill her, I will pay you my fee."

"Ah, so you'd tell your client that you killed her and take the money, would you? I supposed that if you did tell them that someone else did it, you wouldn't get anything. Still, that is not like you, Illumi-chan." Hisoka poked playfully.

"Indeed, but I somehow doubt you can kill her." Hook, line, and sinker. Illumi knew he had Hisoka now. The magician's maniacal laughter ensued.

"Where am I to meet you?"

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Illumi hung up his phone, having just made arrangements with Hisoka. He had made the call to the mystery client beforehand. The pay was ten figures, and even though Illumi threatened not to do the job, the woman on the other end of the phone did not reveal the name of the client taking out the hit. The bank account used to deposit the first half of the fee belonged to an eleven-year-old homeless child. Stalking the child had revealed nothing of the client. Websites and passwords were locked tighter than the Zoldyck household. Bank cameras showed that no one ever deposited or took money out of the account physically. That had been a long shot, but worth a try. In the end, his mother urged him to take the hit. She said that taking the job would keep Viola-chan safe for the time being. She also wanted him to go see the breeder (Since she lived a great deal north, with no phones and only carrier hawks which would take too long to relay the message) and tell her about the hit. His father agreed that if Viola knew whom it was that had taken the hit out on her, he would then assassinate that person and relieve Illumi of his duty to kill the breeder, thus also ensuring her protection. Illumi was to relay the message and protect the breeder on her trip to the Zoldyck household.

Illumi himself would not have minded killing the woman. She treated his parents with the utmost respect, but viewed him and his siblings as animals. She had never said such a thing, but the look in her eyes when she laid them on him revealed the supremacy. Ever since he was young, Illumi sensed that she would truly like to break him. And then, when he was fifteen, she said it to him.

"Come get me before I get you."

That same day, his father boisterously informed him that she had taken a great liking to him, and thought he had what it took to train the most ferocious animals, should the calling appeal to him. Naturally, he didn't take her up on her offer. While the manipulation was blatant, he never told his parents what she had said. He felt that it was a challenge, and that one day he would accept it. This might have been the chance he was waiting for.

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Illumi waited at the airship strip for his companion. He was taking a public airship so as not to expose the family to Hisoka. The landing site for public ships that was farthest north was about four hours away, and quite some distance shy of the breeder's location. After that, only private ships would fly amidst the forest and mountains, and only at their own risk. Illumi knew that his family's airship could possibly get him closer to his destination, and would have dropped him off right at home, but he would need the extra travel time going from the public landing site to his home so he could get rid of Hisoka when they got back. Chances were that, after Hisoka battled with Viola, he might become a tad obsessed. Even so, Illumi had it all figured out. He would use Hisoka as bait to see if he could indeed win a fight with the breeder. If Hisoka lost, then Illumi would perhaps have to seek harsher training. If the magician won, however… Then the breeder had been dead when he got there. That would be their story. Illumi knew that his family was the only one in the breeder's will, so even with her dead, all they had to do was find someone to pick up where she left off. He supposed Kalluto might since he seemed to enjoy animals. And if his family did some further investigating and found out it was Hisoka who had killed her, then… Illumi would advise the magician to disappear for a while and that would be that. If he got caught, it was his own fault from that point.

The pop of crimson in the distance was unmistakable. Hisoka waved and bounced towards Illumi with a lack of dignity that made the assassin turn his back and begin walking away from the joyous man. Hisoka picked up the pace until he was right beside the assassin. Illumi had stopped to join the line of passengers boarding the airship, and Hisoka threw himself to hug the assassin's back. Illumi swiftly sidestepped, simultaneously grabbing the brightly-colored man's collar and jerking him back so he wouldn't run into the person standing in front of them in line. Illumi forcefully stood Hisoka beside him, not letting go of his collar.

"If you continue this behavior, I cannot continue with you. You will compromise the inconspicuousness of my being here." Illumi's voice was as flat as his expression. Hisoka pouted.

"I can't help it that I missed you. Can't I even get a hug?" He whiled, turning his head so that Illumi could only see the teardrop painted on his cheek, and how well it matched the heartbroken expression on his face. Illumi simply released the magician's collar and didn't respond, expecting the man to behave himself. Hisoka, seeing that he couldn't win, merely allowed the characteristic maniacal smile to slide onto his face.

"So tell me more about this strong opponent."


	2. Chapter 2

It was nighttime when the airship landed, and the ride had been uneventful. With Illumi and Hisoka being hunters, they both had their own private rooms. That didn't stop Hisoka from trying to force Illumi into his room, of course, but the assassin slipped away from the magician repeatedly, and finally Hisoka condemned himself to making card houses. This lasted about half an hour before Illumi entered Hisoka's room willingly, bored out of his mind. Hisoka's sly smile almost made Illumi turn to leave immediately, but the collapsed card house in the background caught his attention. They then spent the rest of the trip building card houses, mostly in silence until Hisoka's repeated failures to keep the structure standing irritated Illumi enough to try and guide the magician. Surprisingly, Hisoka didn't try anything funny, although he threw the assassin a number of lewd looks.

Now they were in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the backpack that Illumi had brought with him. Aside from the landing site, there were no buildings, lampposts, not even other people. Illumi, Hisoka and the staff for the landing site were the only people there. Darkness consumed everything ten feet past the nearest light fixture. There was no moon, only the stars were beaming. Hisoka frowned.

"Hey, don't you normally transfigure your face when you travel to do assassinations?" He asked. Illumi sighed. He had expected a question on what they were to do now.

"I have no intention of assassinating anyone." _I'll have you do that for me. _"Also, this breeder will most likely meet with us spontaneously, especially if she knows about the hit on her. I should be in a recognizable form. So for now…" Illumi looked across the small stretch of land that remained lit. He eyed what looked like a pickup truck, and walked over to the owner. The man had a transport badge, although his vehicle was certainly unorthodox for transporting people. It was a two-seater with cushions lining the open backside of the truck. Since as it was the only vehicle around, Illumi decided that he had no choice.

"Excuse me. How far northwest can you take me before we reach a motel?" Illumi's voice made the driver turn, and judging by the look on his face, the tall male assassin was not what he was expecting. The man cleared his throat.

"Y'ever been 'ere before? Know where yer headed? And uhh… Is tha guy wit ya?" The driver inquired, pointing to Hisoka who, only a few feet away, was following a cat that had walked by. Illumi gritted his teeth.

"I know that, from here, I need to go northwest to the last town before the mountains. … And yes, he is with me."

The driver nodded. "Last town's another two hours from here. Best get some food an' water fer tha trip, everythin's closed in town a' this hour. Oh, an' my name's Ivan. Lemme know when yer ready." The driver turned to prepare his vehicle and paused. "Oh an'… Ya got money righ?" Illumi nodded and discussed price, paying the driver half immediately. He then took Hisoka by the collar, pulling him away from playing with the friendly cat, and dragged him into the indoor waiting area of the landing site. Illumi insisted that Hisoka repay him for his undignified behavior by paying for the treats they purchased, and by sitting in the back of the pickup so Illumi could sit in the front.

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The pickup was loud. Maybe it was the dirt road they were on, or the loose hood on the front of the car, but it was almost deafening to sit in the back. Which is where Illumi was unhappily placed. When Illumi had forced Hisoka into the back, he began to climb into the passenger seat and was stopped. Ivan told him that, for safety purposes, passengers had to sit in the back. And so, Illumi had to climb into the back, beside a Hisoka wearing a malicious grin. A grin that spoke to him.

'_Serves you right.'_

Illumi stretched his legs, resting against the side of the pickup that was closest to the driver, while Hisoka sat in the farthest corner, closest to the back of the vehicle. The darkness hid the land, but revealed every star in the sky. Illumi spent a long time with his eyes turned upwards, not bothering to monitor Hisoka. Consequently, by the time the weight of Hisoka's head landed in Illumi's lap, the magician had already attached himself with his Bungee Gum. If Illumi's expression could change, it would be a scowl.

"Get off." He commanded to the man currently curled around him like a cat. Hisoka responded by nuzzling his head into Illumi's thigh.

"But I'm sooooo comfy…" He purred. "And I'm cold. Illumi-chan doesn't want me to freeze, does he? Just let me sleep here for a bit." He pleaded, pretending to sleep. Illumi allowed himself a frown since the magician's eyes were closed. The minute he showed his frustration however, the magician's eyes were wide open. Hisoka's smile was unstoppable. Illumi mentally cursed himself.

"Displeased, are we Illu-chan?" Hisoka drawled. Illumi decided to play it off.

"Don't call me that. Adding the '–chan' to my full name is unprofessional enough. And of course I am displeased. I do not want you sleeping on me. Go sleep in the corner, there are pillows lined on the floor for this reason." Illumi replied calmly. Hisoka's smile turned nasty.

"But _Illu-chan's_ so cute when he frowns." Hisoka said softly, a hand stroking the assassin's outer thigh. Illumi noticed that the outstretched arm stroking his thigh left Hisoka's side unguarded. Immediately, he wrapped a hand around Hisoka's ribs and applied bone-crushing force. Hisoka yelped and jerked, seemingly forgetting that his Bungee Gum was attached since he didn't move very far. The hand that was on Illumi's thigh was now wrestling the assassin's grip free. Illumi merely gripped harder, which caused Hisoka to cringe and convulse. The assassin was genuinely surprised to hear a sort of choking sound he'd never heard from the magician.

'_Is he… crying?'_

"I-Ilu-chan…" Hisoka coughed. Illumi's grip tightened automatically upon hearing the name. Hisoka shrieked, even though his ribs had not yet given way under the pressure. The convulsions got worse.

"Okay! Ilumi-s-sama, you win! Just s-stop… Y-you're tickling me…!" Unable to restrain himself any longer, Hisoka broke into hysterical laughter. Illumi paused, dumbstruck. Suddenly, all of the frustrations Hisoka had bestowed on him that day flashed through his mind.

"Ah, my bad. I didn't realize you were ticklish… here?" Illumi's hand darted lower, traveling down the magician's ribcage and digging in torturously. Hisoka finally got himself together enough to un-stick his Bungee Gum right as Illumi started prodding him. "And… here?" Illumi's hand suddenly went higher, fingers wiggling under Hisoka's arms. The magician curled around Illumi's hand defensively, helpless laughter escaping him. While Illumi's face remained expressionless, he was smirking like a maniac inside.

"S-S-Stop!" Hisoka choked, thrashing. Finally able to writhe free of the assassin, Hisoka backed as far away from the other man as possible, a horrified look on his face. Illumi rested his hands behind his head, feeling satisfied with his treatment of Hisoka.

"Illu-chan, how could you! Groping me, violating me… I thought you were decent!" Hisoka mock-sobbed. Illumi sighed. Frustration was building again.

"What did I tell you about calling me tha- Ahh?" Illumi was cut off when he tried to lean forward, and his hands did not follow. Looking back, his hands were attached to the spot behind his head where they had been resting. By Bungee Gum.

'_That little-!'_

Illumi looked towards Hisoka, who by now was grinning maliciously. The magician grabbed one of Illumi's legs and yanked it before Illumi could kick. Having lost his upright position, Illumi's hands were stuck high above his head while his back was flat against the floor. His neck hovered centimeters from the ground. If he tilted his head back enough, he could rest it against the pillows. Hisoka chuckled and Illumi flailed his legs, which were effortlessly caught and bound by the magician. Wide, dark eyes watched the crazed man begin to crawl. Soon Hisoka was on all fours, perched above his prey, his demented smile never faltering. Illumi looked on coolly.

"Release me, Hisoka." The magician only smiled.

"Illu-chan really hurt me…" Hisoka muttered in a low, tempting voice. One of his hands went to rub his side, emphasizing a point. The other hand abruptly tore off the assassin's vest and tossed it aside. He then returned both hands to either side of Illumi's hovering head, lowering himself. The smile on his face was threatening.

"I _will_ leave you behind the moment I can if you don't let me go." Illumi threw out a threat of his own. Immediately, Hisoka pulled away, deciding to straddle Illumi's hips and pout.

"But Illu-chaaaaaaan, that's not faaaaaair! Why can't I play with Illu-chan?" The magician protested shrilly.

"You have your shots at me when you carry on inappropriately with the purpose to annoy me. If you didn't put your head in my lap, I wouldn't have found out you were ticklish. See how that works? So this," Illumi jerked his head up to the Bungee Gum on his wrists, "is taking it too far."

Hisoka sat on Illumi's hips, holding his pout and seemingly deciding if he wanted to call the assassin's bluff and risk being left behind. He was also squirming a lot, Illumi noticed. The pressure was staring to irritate him, so he bucked his hips in the hoped that he'd throw Hisoka off of him. Maybe off the truck if he were lucky. As if that action were anticipated, Hisoka ground himself into Illumi, forcing the assassin's hips down. He leaned forward, giving Illumi a sly grin.

"Oooh, naughty Illu-chan. You can't get rid of me that easily." The magician drawled. Illumi's second, more aggressive thrust took Hisoka by surprise, and caused him to fall forward, face-planting into the bound man's stomach. Illumi jerked, surprised.

"I think I broke my nose… Did I hit Illu-chan's tummy or a brick wall?" Hisoka's words was muffled as he spoke against the assassin's body. Illumi could feel the vibrations of Hisoka's voice travel straight into him. His exhalation was anxious.

"Hisoka! That's enough." He barked. Hisoka slowly turned his head upwards, chin still resting on Illumi's body while his shark-toothed grin remained. Hands raced up his side and rested underneath his arms. Slowly, fingers began to move.

"I wonder… Is Illu-chan ticklish as well?" Hisoka croaked maliciously.

"No." Even without expression, the triumph in Illumi's voice was unmistakable. Hisoka's face turned a shade paler.

"Whaaaat? But how am I going to get my revenge on Illu-chan!" Hisoka's hands desperately travelled Illumi's upper body, but the assassin was truly immune. With a sigh of defeat, Hisoka released the Bungee Gum. Immediately, Illumi pushed the magician off of him and sat up, retrieving his vest and casting a cold gaze. Hisoka sulked for the remainder of the drive, mostly reflecting on the regrets he had for not feeling Illumi up more. But the magician knew he would never get away with that.

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"There y'are, an' sorry fer da bumpy ride. Christ, there wa' so much knockin' around back der, I thought dem wolves 'ad come after yeh in 'da truck er sometin…" Ivan accepted his money and drove off, clueless to the shenanigans than had gone on in the back of his truck. It was very late, sky still pitch dark. Illumi wasted no time walking into the hotel they had been dropped off in front of, with Hisoka following. It was a small cabin made of wood with rooms attached to the outside to accommodate more travelers. One older woman stood awake at the counter and made the arrangements for the duo's stay. There were apparently two other couples here, but they had chosen to stay outside of the cabin. Since they were inside, Illumi and Hisoka had the whole place to themselves. Accepting the keys in exchange for the money he'd counted out, Illumi handed Hisoka's key to him and headed up the staircase to his room. Hisoka followed closely behind until Illumi was in front of his door. The assassin turned to inquire about the lack of privacy he was being given by the magician, but Hisoka beat him to it with his own question.

"Why did you buy us two nights here?"

"Because. I'll explain in the morning." Swiftly unlocking the door, Illumi escaped into his room and slammed his door shut before Hisoka had the chance to barge in. He sighed, feeling Hisoka's presence move to the other end of the hall, the direction of the magician's own room.

Illumi was physically exhausted. He hadn't realized how putting up with Hisoka could really be draining. Nonetheless, he could not delay the survey of his room. Every hotel room he stayed in had to be thoroughly checked, and so he spent the next few minutes verifying everything from electrical cords and currents to what was underneath his bed. His quaint, cozy room checked out, and he immediately stripped, donning a towel around his waist. Absent-mindedly, his thumb rubbed against his navel and plunged inside, removing the pin embedded deeply within. Embedding that pin in the precise spot of his navel blocked all of the defensive reactions his central nervous system regulated autonomously. Pain, temperature, even ticklishness. He reflected briefly on how lucky he was that Hisoka didn't know that. Tucking the pin into the base of his skull for safekeeping, he decided that if he was going to take a bath, he wanted to feel it.

'_The owner of this shack said that there are no individual showers, but two spa-themed public bathing rooms for each gender.' _Illumi recalled._ 'But how to get past Hisoka…' _

The assassin surmised that, with any method used to leave, Hisoka would notice the absence of his presence eventually. Normally he would wait for the magician to sleep, but he was pining for that bath. Eventually, he settled for sneaking out and taking the irritation when it came. If Hisoka invaded, Illumi could always try drowning him…

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The assassin felt Hisoka's presence was still in his room by the time he unraveled his towel and sank into the warm water of the huge wooden bathtub. The steam and heat pierced him to his core, and he tilted his head back, lips parting in a silent moan. Truly, he would have liked to moan. He wanted to express the deep relaxation his body was experiencing. But aside from the risk of the magician in the cabin having very good hearing, he could not allow himself to be wrapped up in _feelings_. He could be ambushed in a second. With such a threat looming over his head, he needed to remain alert, even in this tiny dust-ball of a town. Still, he could enjoy his evening bath so long as he didn't become too distracted by it. Arms hanging over the side of the bath, Illumi lowered himself until half of his face was immersed. He felt his face becoming flushed due to the heat, and at that moment, Hisoka's aura vanished.

'_Oh for the love of…'_

Illumi immediately sat up, and although he knew the wise thing to do was to grab his towel and bail, the warmth would not release him. He decided to stay. Besides, it was just Hisoka. What had he to fear? What was the worst that could happen? Maybe the magician wasn't even going to the bath.

"Illuuuuuuuu-chaaaaaaaan!" A cheery voice loomed from behind the door of the bath. Illumi sighed.

"What, Hisoka?"

"Can I come in? Is Illu-chan decent?"

"Stop calling me that. And it's a bath Hisoka. Of course I'm not decent."

"Ooooh, now I really wanna come in. Can I, Illu-chan? Can I, can I, can I?"

Illumi started to feel exhausted again.

"I said stop calling me that. And I can't stop you, it's a public bath." A pause. "Though I'd rather you not."

"Ohh, is Illu-chan shy?" Hisoka drawled. Illumi wanted to strangle the man for repeatedly soiling his name.

"Fine, come in." Illumi baited, though he let the full force of his killing aura unleash itself upon Hisoka. The door didn't open.

"… Does _Illumi-sama_ wanna kill me?" Hisoka squeaked, his voice small. Illumi calmed down after hearing the magician relent the hideous name. He pulled his aura back and the door opened. Hisoka came in, wearing nothing but a towel as well. A sheepish smile was on the magician's face, and for some reason, Illumi felt a hot pang of emotion in his chest. His eyes traveled down from the grin to the magician's body. His arms, his chest, his legs, were given a quick skim as the magician turned away from him to take off his towel. Illumi's face became much hotter, though he didn't know why, when the towel was taken off. Illumi didn't catch himself staring at Hisoka's backside as the man stayed facing the wall for a moment. He noticed the hand-shaped bruise on the other man's ribs.

"Illumi-sama…" Hisoka started. Illumi waited for him to say something.

"Ah, never mind…" Was the conclusion.

Illumi's confusion left his mind when the man turned around. The assassin noticed every inch of the sculptured body walking towards him, including the blush on Hisoka's face. Another mysterious hot pang went off inside his chest, and a much less mysterious one went off between his legs. It suddenly dawned on him that he had removed his pin, his protective layer against any and all things stronger than his will.

'_Oh no…'_

Hisoka raised one leg to enter the bathtub. His usually pale skin was pink and flushed from the heat; Illumi suspected that he looked the same way. Once submerged, Hisoka shifted to become comfortable. Illumi had stretched his legs lengthwise along the rectangular bathtub. Hisoka, on the opposite side of the tub, faced Illumi and copied this position. Once settled, Hisoka tilted his head back and moaned, shoulders shifting comfortably. Illumi's face was unbearably hot now, his stomach writhing and his chest tingling. Another twitch of his cock went unnoticed, as he was too busy looking at Hisoka's flushed skin for reasons he wasn't quite sure of. He wondered if the heat was too much for him. Although it was true that he could last through temperatures much more intense than this, Illumi vaguely felt himself becoming faint. Maybe his fatigue was worse than he thought. Turning his head, he began to take measured breaths. While the air was still warm, Illumi was able to calm himself down enough so that his face was no longer so flushed. Most of his insides had returned to their normal sensations, but the tingling between his legs was persistent. He decided to ignore it, and when he looked back to Hisoka again, he found the man staring at his cock. His face immediately went back to its previously unbearable temperature.

"You're so very mature." Illumi scoffed, hoping to play off his skittishness. Hisoka looked up, giving him a lecherous smile.

"Illumi-sama is just so gorgeous… It's hard to believe he's real…" The magician drawled, leaning forward. Withdrawing one leg, Hisoka's foot came in contact with Illumi's knee, and began to travel upwards.

"What are you doing?" Illumi's voice held no emotion in it, much to his relief. Hisoka's foot was traveling extremely slowly, but the threat to Illumi was still great. It was not often that he had to face the possibility of sensory overload, and he knew enduring it was not his strong suit. He needed to remain levelheaded, and conscious enough to not fall into Hisoka's mental traps. Running away now could mean leading Hisoka onto something.

"Illumi-sama, I have a question. I know you've been trained to withstand torture. Were you trained to handle sexual torture?"

"Yes." Came the immediate answer.

"How about… pleasurable torture?"

"Again, yes." Hisoka whistled, genuinely surprised at the answer. His foot stopped just above the assassin's knee. His surprise did not hinder his true intentions.

"Hmm… Can you prove it to me?" Hisoka leaned forward so much that he was on his knees in front of Illumi. The foot that was on Illumi's thigh was now a knee between his legs. Soon, Hisoka's hands were on either side of the edge Illumi's back rested on. The assassin appeared to remain unfazed.

"How do you suppose we do that?" Hisoka smiled in response to the genuine quizzical tone of the other man's voice. To Illumi, the interaction was beginning to feel less unexpected, more routine. His body returned to the control of his mind. Hisoka shifted so that he was straddling Illumi's thighs, their cocks floating within centimeters of each other. Hisoka leaned in closer and closer, until his forehead was pressed against Illumi's. His breathing was raspy.

"I'll ask you a question, and I'll torture you until either I get bored or you give me the answer." He proposed. Illumi thought about it for a minute. Then abruptly, he wrapped his hand in perfect shape around the corresponding bruise on the magician's ribs, squeezing _hard_.

Hisoka gasped and jumped back, Illumi allowing him to slip away. The assassin stood up, removed himself from the tub and retrieved his towel.

"How about no." He responded curtly before leaving the magician in the room alone.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I own nothing. SUUUPER SHORT CHAPTER, I know. Workin' on it.

So, a quick legend since I have not been posting explanations or author's notes or other such things that might be useful to my lovely readers:

'_Italics'_ – Thoughts

_Italics_ – Emphasis (Maybe dreams and other languages, not sure yet)

'_**Bold Italics'**_ – Past Dialogue (Memories / Flash-Backs)

_**Bold Italics**_ – Past Events / Actions (Memories / Flash-Backs)

Just in case anyone is wondering, I have not read the HunterxHunter manga. I probably will eventually. I have not seen the entire anime, although I started it last week. I am in the middle of the Greed Island OVA's as we speak. This story is really hastily written, because watching the anime is killing me with 'creativity'. There is no set time period. Providing no one in my story is killed at the end of the anime, let's just say that it takes place then. I'll make adjustments as they are brought to my attention / as I see them happen.

I am not intentionally creating OOC characters or falsifying / changing any information or events already set in stone during the anime in order to write this story. If some such inaccuracy occurs, I hope those who are more experienced with the HunterxHunter fandom than I will kindly point it out to me.

Thank you for the reviews, I am very grateful for them and I welcome them.

As for flamers… it's unfortunate that you don't like the story, nobody's perfect, I'll try to take your criticism constructively and, I guess… Go read "50 Shades of Grey" if you haven't already. It might make my story seem a little bit better.

Oh, and also I'm having trouble with segment dividers, apparently - and * and / get edited or deleted. So, sorry for the '0's I've been forced to use. Yeah, they're ugly and I don't like 'em. Anywho.

Thank you in advance for your consideration, please enjoy Chapter 3. – Xioyuu

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Illumi watched a brown hawk take flight into the dark sky, his envelope with the blue Zoldyck family seal tied to its foot. He stood with his arms resting on the ledge of the wall opening, watching until the bird left his sight. After his departure from the bath, he had replaced the pin in his gut and changed into the sleepwear he'd brought in his bag; loose-fitting drawstring pants and a high-collar t-shirt, the length of which was shorter than he'd thought. While he wasn't entirely against his torso being exposed when he raised his arms, he was always wary of his abdomen's vulnerability. If he was struck and the pin shifted, it could mean a very painful ulcer might result. And that wasn't even the worst thing that could happen.

Illumi filled his lungs with night air one last time before he straightened up and left. Feeling that Hisoka had just left the bath, Illumi did not want the magician finding him in a place as small and secluded as the hotel loft. His quick retreat was made to the hotel lobby, which, while drafty, was a quiet place lined with comfortable couches and a lively fireplace. He knew he could not completely escape Hisoka's presence, but Illumi hoped that the other man was tired enough to go right to sleep and allow him to rest in private. Picking a seat closer to the fireplace, he stretched his legs and rested his feet on a nearby table. Hands folded, Illumi leaned against the back of his large, soft chair and closed his eyes. His peace was maintained for almost three minutes before a red-haired troublemaker ascended the stairs, a presumptuous grin on his face. His make-up and hair were done in their usual eccentric fashion. Illumi tilted his head on the direction of the other man, noticing that he had changed back into his combat attire.

"Did you bring any camouflage?" Illumi said, pointing at his own casual clothing. Hisoka took a seat on the couch facing the fireplace, placing himself on the side closest to the assassin.

"Ahh, does Illu-kun dislike my sense of fashion? I must say _you_ look absolutely alluring." Came the whimsical reply. Illumi tilted his head.

"I would rather not call too much attention to ourselves. There are very few people like us here, so it would be best if we were to blend in. And this is your last warning about that name."

Hisoka nodded. "I'm sure you noticed that I didn't bring anything with me."

"I anticipated that, since I didn't properly explain to you where we were going. I brought extra clothing. Buying seemed unnecessary." The assassin explained. A toothy grin was on Hisoka's face as he leaned closer.

"Hmm… So Illu-kun wants to dress me?" He drawled, eyes glinting mischievously. Illumi straightened up in his chair, removing his feet from the tabletop and setting them on the floor. Since he couldn't beat Hisoka to a pulp every time the magician sullied his name, he would play a different game. The assassin stretched his arms, his spine arching as he tilted his head back with a yawn. He felt his shirt ride up, exposing him from his waistband around his hips to his last two ribs. He also felt the intense burn of Hisoka's stare. Lowering his arms, Illumi assumed a more relaxed position and once again turned his attention to Hisoka, whose calmly miffed expression was a cool opposite to the fiercely heated stare that Illumi had felt seconds before.

"The fire's quite hot." Illumi declared. Hisoka raised an eyebrow. "I was thinking it would be tolerable, but since dealing with your stubbornness is tiring me out anyways, I might as well retire to my room instead." A log collapsed, sending sparks into the heated atmosphere of the fireplace. Illumi stood, with Hisoka staring him down. The magician had a smile on his face.

"There's no need to be temperamental, Illumi-kun." Hisoka huffed, getting to his feet as the assassin began to cross the room. "Addressing you the way I do is my attempt at getting close to you. Take that away from me, and you may not like my other approaches."

Illumi stopped in front of the staircase. Slowly, he turned around to find the other man close behind. He raised an eyebrow at Hisoka, and was unable to keep the irritation out of his face. The redhead's thin smile was a dam.

"Was that… a threat?" Considering the seriousness of the situation, Illumi was horrified to find that his voice sounded uncharacteristically small. Hisoka adopted a look of shock.

"A threat? Why would I threaten my friend, Illumi-kun?"

"Assassins have no friends." Came the quick reply. Hisoka tilted his head yet again.

"Have you never wanted to taste forbidden fruit?"

"I can't be picky about my targets. Hence, friends are likely to get in the way at some point."

"Would you really have a problem killing me, even if we were friends?" The question was intended to be tricky, but Illumi would not be baited.

"It's not that. Sometimes we have to kill people close to our friends. Sometimes our friends become our enemies. They use our closeness as well as information about us for money or revenge. Or they may be targeted by our enemies for that information. We become the reason for their demise. They may compromise a job. We constantly have to put work ahead of everyone else, therefore failing to abide by our commitments as friends. There are countless reasons. For instance, what if I were to kill Gon? Even if it were nothing personal, would we still be friends?" Illumi watched Hisoka's facial expression sour at the mention of killing Gon. Whatever the magician had thought would get him around Illumi's logic had apparently left his mind at those words.

"I can't refuse a job, even if it would hurt a friend." The assassin finished. he then turned his back on Hisoka's glaring expression, and proceeded up the staircase, to his room. Just as he was about to open his door, Hisoka responded from the lower floor.

"You'll never get any little assassins of your own with that attitude."


End file.
